Where and how was Rap music originated? What is the difference between (characteristics) Hip Hop and Rap ? Who are some of the most influential Rap artist?
These Questions were used to guide the fallowing research to better peoples understanding of rap music.
Introduction thesis:
Rap music is has been used as a way for people to express them selves, and has a huge influence on lots of people. History of Rap:
Rap music as we know now is a branch of Hip Hop that was created in the Bronx, New York around the beginning of the 90's. It originally can be traced back to West Africa where men used to tell memorized stories that rhymed that were called "toasts". It was then passed on through generations of slaves and started to be used on the streets in the 90's as a way of expressing yourself. The first commercial Rap music track was called "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1989. This influenced a whole new sound that future rap musician soon lived by.
US census Information
Most rappers rap in their songs about how badly they lived in poverty. This shows in the US Census, most rappers in the 90s were African American from New York. In 1990 the US Census shows that for African Americans back then the poverty rate was 31%. That is very large compared to 9% poverty rate for white people at that time. The huge differences between races and poverty have shown throughout all years in American history. This is proof that America is not fair for everyone.
Fig 1: Poverty Graph
Characteristics of Hip Hop and Rap:
A square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square; Rap is Hip Hop but Hip Hop is not rap. Its kind of a personal opinion on which songs are rap and which songs are Hip Hop. "Designations such as “rap” and “hip-hop” are never set in stone, but are free to flow and evolve, kind of like the songs themselves" (BC music, http://blogcritics.org/music/article/q-rap-vs-hip-hop-whats/). Some people say that Rap has more words and Hip Hop has less words. There are some songs that are clarified as Rap and there are some songs that can be both. An example, of a song that has been clarified as rap is:
Song Information
Name: Juicy
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G
Date Created: May 1st 1994
General Information:
"Juicy" shows the flow and beat of Rap music. It is one f the most famous rap songs in the 90s and will be remembered for tons of years as a song that changed and influenced Rap music. Characteristics of Hip Hop and Rap continued:
One technique commonly used by rapper in their songs in a technique called "sampling." Songs that have sampling in them take samples from other popular songs and are put into the rap song. The original song is remixed in rapped over to make a new a whole new song. Sampling provides a new sound that has never been heard before which is another factor into making Rap music new and youthful.
Song Information
Name: KIds
Artist: Chiddy Bang
Date Created: 2009
General Information: This song samples the song "Kids" by MGMT. This is the song that is being sampled:
Influential Rappers:
There are too many huge influential Rap artist to mention but the two most famous are, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Both of them are regarded with most people as the best Rap artist of all time. They really jump started the Hip Hop scene. A lot of Rap artist now mention them in their songs and give them praise. One random example is in Lil Waynes (Weezy) song "Mr. Carter" he raps, "Next time you mention Tupac Biggie and Jay-Z don't forget Weezy Baby."
Fig 2: The Notorious B.I.G.
The Feud:
Biggie and Tupac were always in a race to see who was better. Biggie was representing the east coast and Tupac was representing the west coast. They mentioned each other in song lyrics, and were always fighting to the top. Both of them were tragically shot to death.
Research Questions:
Where and how was Rap music originated?What is the difference between (characteristics) Hip Hop and Rap ?
Who are some of the most influential Rap artist?
These Questions were used to guide the fallowing research to better peoples understanding of rap music.
Introduction thesis:
Rap music is has been used as a way for people to express them selves, and has a huge influence on lots of people.
History of Rap:
Rap music as we know now is a branch of Hip Hop that was created in the Bronx, New York around the beginning of the 90's. It originally can be traced back to West Africa where men used to tell memorized stories that rhymed that were called "toasts". It was then passed on through generations of slaves and started to be used on the streets in the 90's as a way of expressing yourself. The first commercial Rap music track was called "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1989. This influenced a whole new sound that future rap musician soon lived by.
US census Information
Most rappers rap in their songs about how badly they lived in poverty. This shows in the US Census, most rappers in the 90s were African American from New York. In 1990 the US Census shows that for African Americans back then the poverty rate was 31%. That is very large compared to 9% poverty rate for white people at that time. The huge differences between races and poverty have shown throughout all years in American history. This is proof that America is not fair for everyone.Characteristics of Hip Hop and Rap:
A square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square; Rap is Hip Hop but Hip Hop is not rap. Its kind of a personal opinion on which songs are rap and which songs are Hip Hop. "Designations such as “rap” and “hip-hop” are never set in stone, but are free to flow and evolve, kind of like the songs themselves" (BC music, http://blogcritics.org/music/article/q-rap-vs-hip-hop-whats/). Some people say that Rap has more words and Hip Hop has less words. There are some songs that are clarified as Rap and there are some songs that can be both. An example, of a song that has been clarified as rap is:
Song Information
Name: Juicy
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G
Date Created: May 1st 1994
General Information:
"Juicy" shows the flow and beat of Rap music. It is one f the most famous rap songs in the 90s and will be remembered for tons of years as a song that changed and influenced Rap music.
Characteristics of Hip Hop and Rap continued:
One technique commonly used by rapper in their songs in a technique called "sampling." Songs that have sampling in them take samples from other popular songs and are put into the rap song. The original song is remixed in rapped over to make a new a whole new song. Sampling provides a new sound that has never been heard before which is another factor into making Rap music new and youthful.
Song Information
Name: KIds
Artist: Chiddy Bang
Date Created: 2009
General Information: This song samples the song "Kids" by MGMT. This is the song that is being sampled:
Influential Rappers:
There are too many huge influential Rap artist to mention but the two most famous are, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Both of them are regarded with most people as the best Rap artist of all time. They really jump started the Hip Hop scene. A lot of Rap artist now mention them in their songs and give them praise. One random example is in Lil Waynes (Weezy) song "Mr. Carter" he raps, "Next time you mention Tupac Biggie and Jay-Z don't forget Weezy Baby."
The Feud:
Biggie and Tupac were always in a race to see who was better. Biggie was representing the east coast and Tupac was representing the west coast. They mentioned each other in song lyrics, and were always fighting to the top. Both of them were tragically shot to death.Sources:
http://www.census.gov/
Rohdes, Henry. (2010). The Evolution Of Rap In The United States. Yale New Haven Teachers Institute May 22 2010. http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1993/4/93.04.04.x.html.
The History Of Rap Music. (n.d.). All Sands. May 25 2010. http://www.allsands.com/music/bio/historyofrapm_xrw_gn.htm.
Whats The Difference Between Hip hop And Rap? (October 16th 2006) BC blog critics music. May 21 2010. http://blogcritics.org/music/article/q-rap-vs-hip-hop-whats/.